Close Knit

EPISODE 41 :: Anny Crane on Becoming an Art Teacher & Processing Through Art

EPISODE 40 :: Liz Spencer of The Dogwood Dyer

EPISODE 39 :: Mike Reynolds of Everyday Girl Dad : Masculinity, Fatherhood & Listening to Lived Experience

EPISODE 38 :: Lauren McDonald of Working Cloth - A Discussion of the Historical and Gendered Context of Fashion & the Universality of the Running Stitch

EPISODE 37 :: Jess Schreibstein and Claire Moskal of Mild Woman :: Friendship, First Sweaters and Valuing & Compensating Creative Work

This week I spoke to a couple of people who inspire me so much. aaaaand spoiler also inspire each other because they’re MARRIED. These people are - Lily Schlosser of Eli and Barry and James Davis of Engaged Weaving. You won’t believe it, but I didn’t know that the two of them had anything to do with each other, I was separately following each of them, and just about died when I found out how they were related. In this open and vulnerable chat, James and Lily talk about how important fibre arts and the fibre arts community have been for them in processing their life events and supporting their mental health. James opens up about how his weaving practice has been a vehicle for processing and healing from grief and loss and Lily discusses her journey with anxiety and how supportive her practice of clothes making has been and how sharing her struggles with anxiety openly has given her a new and fuller way of connecting with her audience. There’s so much in this chat - so many ways that Lily and James show up to vulnerability wholeheartedly, and I am incredibly grateful that they were willing to share in this way.  shownotes for this episode are available at closeknit.com.au/podcast/episode36 The Close Knit Podcast is supported by the following people (& more!) through Patreon. If you'd like to support the podcast and get access to sneak peeks + additional content for patrons-only, please check out patreon!  Amanda Faulkner        Jaclyn Rogerson     Charlotte Helen     Natasha Celm     AC Carter      Alison See  Lyle Mills          Jess Daniels    Sarah Belcher   Cath Derksema        Anna Martinez       Jen Deery      Candice Hiles      Lauren Champs      Alicia Levine     Sandra Blue    Morgan Capestrain      Justice McNeil       Natalie Sweeney    Emily Tan   James Davis     Brittany Hoffman     Rachel Beckman    leah  pinault

EPISODE 35 :: Tal Fitzpatrick - Creativity's Role In Community Resilience & Viewing Craftivism through a Constructive and Hopeful Lens

This episode (minisode kind of, though it's still like 40 min long so not that mini?) is a little different.  If you have not, first listen to episode 34 (part 1) to get to know Abbey and Sam and then come back and listen to this chat, which is the second half of my floor sitting Hobart conversation with Abbey and Sam from last year.  We talk about  + internet friendships, how we met each other and became friends + how we navigate internet personas and IRL personas (spoiler we dont have any boundaries between them, and we all have a lot of feelings)  + sam tells us about her first business making t-shirts as a 16 year old  + we have a pee break (which I edited out because it got too weird to share on the internet)  + Australianisms vs Americanisms - how our voices have changed over time (Sam and Ani are American and lived or are living in Aus)  + Our embarrassing nicknames from different points in our lives 

In Episode 33 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Sam Ives of Maker and Mineral and Abbey Rich.  n a slightly different approach than I usually have, Sam, Abbey and I recorded this chat in person, sitting on the floor in my old house in Hobart. Because of the format of this chat and the fact that we have a well established friendship, this chat developed differently to the usual podcast.    We talk about tattooing and how both Abbey and Sam have used stick and pokes to process life and friendship, and how tattooing a mate is such a permanent act - this is juxtaposition to both of their clothes-making practice, which feels more transient, and ultimately is more transient in the world of fast fashion that we all ultimately live in.    Sam and Abbey both talk us through their practices with clothes making and how they’ve grown and changed their businesses over the last few years, as well as the compromises this requires of them. We discuss sustainability from many levels - for the planet, our immediate communities and ourselves, as well as communities not physically proximate to us.    Having this conversation with Abbey and Sam meant so much to me, and honestly getting to come back to it over the last couple of weeks to edit it has felt really healing, as I personally transition my life from Tasmania to California. I cannot thank Sam and Abbey enough for their ongoing friendship and for being willing to share this conversation with me in the week before I left Tassie.  A giant thanks to this week's episode sponor: Sincere Sheep. Their primary focus is single-source, breed-specific and custom-made yarns and fibers dyed with color extracted from responsibly sourced plants (and occasionally from insects).  Until the 31st Dec 2017, you can sign up for Sincere Sheep’s Made Here! 2018 quarterly club. Made Here! is a special quarterly yarn club featuring domestic and small batch yarns and custom-made goodies, thoughtfully designed and packaged for minimal environmental impact.  Click for the complete Made Here! 2018 Listing on www.sinceresheep.com.  shownotes for this episode are available at closeknit.com.au/podcast/episode34

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our wider communities. A huge thank you to this week's epsiode sponsors : Threads of Peru & 100 Acts of Sewing.  Threads of Peru is a social enterprise that connects the world to handcrafted treasures of Peru, helping to strengthen ancient craft techniques and empower artisans. image provided by Threads of Peru  By marketing the work produced by weavers in remote Andean communities and by sourcing products from like-minded organizations across Peru, Threads of Peru is providing an opportunity for artisans, particularly women, to earn an income while continuing to live a traditional lifestyle and care for their children. Something I’m particularly excited about sharing is Threads of Peru’s trips to visit Peru, tours designed for those who are passionate about culture and who want to experience the Andean weaving tradition first-hand. You can join the Threads of Peru team as they take you behind the scenes to visit some of their weaving partners and experiment with weaving and natural dye techniques.  See Peru through the eyes of people who live and breathe this country every day, and who are working to keep traditions alive and make a better life for those who live here. This is an experience not to be missed – an exclusive and very special introduction to the vastly rich culture of Peru! You can find out more about these tours by visiting their website threadsofperu.com  As a special offer for close knit listeners, Threads of Peru is offering 20% off anything in their online shop (except Clearance items)! Just go to threadsofperu.com, and enter coupon code CLOSEKNIT at checkout.  And a huge thank you to 100 Acts of Sewing for sponsoring this episode!  image provided by 100 acts of sewing 100 Acts of Sewing is a pattern company making simple sewing patterns for a handmade wardrobe,   designed by Sonya Philip. The patterns are geared towards beginners with pieces that are easy to wear and modify. I have personally sewn the dress No2 from 100 acts of sewing and every time I see a new pattern by Sonya I get so excited because of their ease of construction and versatility. Reading Sonya’s instructions was like having a seasoned sewer in the room with me, walking me through the process step by step, something I feel is often missing from sewing patterns and online tutorials.If you’re interested in hand making your clothes and aren’t sure where to start, or even if you’re a really good sewist, I can’t recommend 100 acts of sewing patterns highly enough! You can find 100 acts of sewing online and follow Sonya’s handmade wardrobe chronicles on instagram at @sonyaphilip.  Thanks again to this week's episode sponsors!  This week I spoke to Nate Bryant of Loop N Threads, and Our Maker Life. Nate shares with us the story of how he found his way to knitting, rather unexpectedly and how that love of knitting became something more than a side hobby for him, at first out of necessity, and then out of love.  We discuss some of the details of how he chooses to run his business alongside a day job, and how he manages  his time between these things. Nate also helps to run an organisation called Our Maker Life, alongside other makers, who get together yearly to share experiences and ideas and work together on their craft. Nate describes for me his experience of working in the knitting world as a man and how his expression of his gender shapes his work and how others might view his work as a result of gender expression.  Nate has this really calming voice, and it was a treat to get to chat to him about the many things that make him uniquely him.  photo provided by nate bryant People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:Chantal of Knitatude- nate loves her energy and how prolific she is a favourite inspiration: Yokoo Gibraan Our Maker Life (OMM) North Knits La Reserve Design Country Pine Design Knit Brooks Chelsea from Chelsea Knits / Knit Fitch Nikki Hirsch for her tunisian crochet  also the angel painting that Nate did and mentioned :)  Find Nate: instagram  | websiteWant more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts Like what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time!  xx ani

We're raising money for Planned Parenthood on the 15th Sept on Instagram at @joyinthestruggle. Please share this with your friends and consider bidding on a beanie on the 15th! 

The Close Knit podcast aims to hold space for conversation to be had about working with fibre in its many forms, within our selves and our communities.  In Episode 32 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Kinknit. Kinknit combines two things that you might not have thought about combining before (or maybe you have - like many folks who’ve gotten in touch with them on the internet) - kink and fibre. Which, when you think about it, kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? interest in fibres and interest in ropes, interest in the tying of intricate knots. Afterall, knitting is just a series of knots, isn't it? We talk about how kinking uses kink, yoga and an active fibre practice in their management of their chronic illnesses, and how even when their body wouldn’t cooperate, they were still so fundamentally a spinner and a knitter.  Rope and photo by @dwlphoto What i love so much about this chat is how we’re talking about something that is kind of taboo and not often talked about, especially in the fibre arts community -  but it makes so much sense when kinking explains the parallels between these communities that they’ve noticed.  image by @magnessvondoom   My intention with the podcast is present people as their whole selves - and I love that we got to talk about all the ways that Kinknint shows up to the world as themselves - unashamed and proud of all the elements that make them uniquely them.  photo by @sliversilverphotography / sliversilverphoto.com People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast: Fetlife - ravelry for kink Into the Whirled - rad indie dyer Izznit - we love her badass knitting tattoos  friend and badass Pajarolibrexx master weaver Megan Shimek  Find Kinknit: instagramWant more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts Like what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time!  xx ani

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor, Made In Tasmania.  Made in Tasmania is a small, family owned and mostly family run business operating out of Tasmania. They work with Australia’s oldest wool mill, Waverley Woolen Mills, to weave colorful bed throws from Tasmanian sourced and processed superfine merino. I personally got a chance earlier this year to tour the factory and see how it’s all made - and it’s bloody cool. The wool comes in greasy bales and gets processed up at Waverely right down to the dyeing and weaving. Made In Tasmania also works with Hobart- based not for profit Tastex, who employ folks with barriers to employment, where they add finishing touches to machine knit scarves made from merino yarn. You can find Made In Tasmania at their bricks and mortar in Salamanca Place, Hobart and online at madeintasmania.com  and on instagram as @madeintasmania. They ship worldwide!  As a special gift to close knit podcast listeners, Made In Tasmania are offering 10% off your first purchase - use the code close knit at checkout.  Thanks again to Made In Tasmania for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit podcast!   In Episode 30 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Hanna Lisa Haferkamp and Verena Cohrs. Hanna Lisa and Verena are feminist knitters living in Berlin who work together on a project called Making Stories and separately on their own solo projects, as well.  Hanna Lisa and Verena came up with the concept for Making Stories, an independent knitwear design publishing company, after getting together for knitting hang outs and running a yarn crawl with local knitters in Berlin. We talk about how they navigate the dynamics of working on a project together, in addition to their separate companies and what this looks like on a day to day basis - the necessity of having a similar long term and bigger vision for the project, but the beauty of having differing opinions on the smaller details. Hanna Lisa explains the turning point for her in her business in 2016 to make a decision to very openly identify as feminist and keep her core values of supporting womxn owned businesses in the running of her own business. Both tell us about their routines around self care and how they work together to keep each other accountable.  People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:Fringe Association: basically we just all love Karen a lot.  Vivian kvitka - thegoodviv.com - the graphic designer that Hanna and Verena use/love.  Caroline Frett - surface pattern designer Gather here - feminist business based in boston that we love (and ani visited in 2015)  Find Hanna Lisa: website | instagram Find Verena: website | instagram Find Hanna Lisa & Verena (as Making Stories)  : website | instagram Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket Casts Like what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in. Until next time!  xx ani

image by Emma Weiss The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor, Millpost Merino. Millpost is an ethical family farm on NSW Southern Tablelands near Canberra.  It’s been in the family since 1922, and Judith (aka Mum) and David (aka Dad) took over in 1979.The family is now making really lush superfine merino yarn that’s single source (just from their flock). I got a shade card in the mail the other day and guys, this stuff is good. the colours are really considered and they’ve got heaps of choice - 8 different colours that all looks pretty damn good together and undyed hanks for indie dyers. Millpost is run according to the principles of Permaculture, so you can rest easy knowing that your yarn come from a biodiverse, productive, healthy farm. You can find Millpost Merino online, and on instagram.  Thanks again to Millpost for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit Podcast!  Claire and Ashton of Wax and Wane Fiber are a queer and feminist fibre art operation based in Baltimore.  We talk about the ways in which claire and ashton make space for each other and navigate the dynamics of running a business together, the realities of having day jobs in addition to a creative business and doing taxes. (pro tip - do your taxes). We talk about how fibre art is a political tool and how their work and business has changed as a result of the political climate in the US. This chat was a funny one, with a lot of editing because the internet connection from Tasmania to baltimore was shaky, so if you notice a couple moments of weirdness, that’s what that was. We also have a few little inside jokes that formed over the course of this conversation, which (side note) was also the first time we’d ever spoken. we get deep into some tender chats about how we all just need some loving, and how earlier wewatched rhianna and jennfier lopes music videos. There’s no other way to describe this chat than ~pillow talk~ really really good pillow talk.  People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:neighborhood fiber company in baltimore - black, femme owned biz. v badass beautiful trouble : toolbox for revolution - a book on art as a revolution tool Zak Foster - quilter in brooklyn/ internet/IRL friend of claire and ashton sunflower knit - beautiful, inspiring knitting movement: miracle of movement  - a project of claire's friend Laura   Find Claire and Ashton: website | instagram Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket CastsLike what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.Until next time! xxani 

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor: 100 Acts of Sewing 100 Acts of Sewing is a pattern company making simple sewing patterns for a handmade wardrobe,   designed by Sonya Philip. The patterns are geared towards beginners with pieces that are easy to wear and modify. I have personally sewn the dress no2 from 100 acts of sewing and every time I see a new pattern by Sonya I get so excited because of their ease of construction and versatility. Reading Sonya’s instructions was like having a seasoned sewer in the room with me, walking me through the process step by step, something I feel is often missing from sewing patterns and online tutorials.If you’re interested in hand making your clothes and aren’t sure where to start, or even if you’re a really good sewist, I can’t recommend 100 acts of sewing patterns highly enough! You can find 100 acts of sewing on Etsy and follow Sonya’s handmade wardrobe chronicles on instagram at @sonyaphilip. As a special treat For Close Knit Podcast Listeners, Sonya is offering US$5 off orders placed until 30/6/2017 with the code CLOSEKNIT at checkout. Thanks again to Sonya at 100 Acts of Sewing for this generous offer and for sponsoring the Close Knit Podcast!  Emma is a textile artist and lecturer based in Sydney.We chat about emma’s childhood and her strong tactile and olfactory memories of textiles as a child on the wool farm with her family. Emma has spent the last few years exploring wet felting and has incorporated this into her personal and professional work. We speak about how Emma has processed her life experiences through her work, sometimes unconsciously and we discuss how powerful fibre as a medium can be. As a lecturer in auniversity setting, Emma brings her whole self to the classroom and is encouraging of her students to explore many elements of themselves in their work with fibre.We speak about the necessity of bringing and acknowledging the role of self in research and talk about the ways in which spaces displaying art can facilitate safe space for truth telling about ourselves.  Find Emma: website | instagram Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket CastsLike what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.Until next time! xxani

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. In Episode 27 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke to Anna Barberio of For Flynn Protest Art.  Anna is a cross stitcher, mixed media protest artist and a student of psychology. We talk about anna’s approach to craft, how much of her work has come from a place of necessity, and particularly how her work has come from a place of necessity during the election season and presently, under the new presidential administration in the US. Anna raises some really important points about craft and self care, and we both have a great big chat about the ways in which we look after ourselves (or more often than not, fail at doing that)   People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:Ani shouts out to call your girlfriend re: sentient cheeto reference. also CYG is a wonderful podcast that you should listen to if you're not already badass cross stitch - ep 26 of the close knit podcast! ali segel alibaby90 - v badass feministhot cross puns - R. Jones - very badass crosstitchery.nerds and needles Find Anna: website | instagram Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket CastsLike what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.Until next time! xxani

Photo by Gloria Araya The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. In Episode 26 of the Close Knit Podcast, I spoke toShannon Downey of Badass Cross stitch. Shannon is a subversive cross stitcher and weaver based in Chicago. We cover some really incredible topics in this episode. Shannon explains how she sees her role in craftivism and the role of craftivism at large. She walks me through her process of creating Feminist War Flags, and tells us about a project on gun violence that prompted her to create an incredible fundraiser for an arts therapy project in Chicago. A huge thank you to this week's episode sponsor: Phaedra Clothing. Phaedra Clothing seeks a balance between elegance of form and functionality. The collection is inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design which combines attention to detail with practical, every day wear. To Phaedra, a garment is a narrative, a piece that changes over time. The linen becomes softer and more supple, the colours lighten subtly, a piece becomes imbued with memories; signifying a long and happy relationship between garment and wearer. You can find Phaedra Clothing on Etsy and on instagram as @phaedraclothing. Thanks again to Phaedra for sponsoring this episode of the Close Knit Podcast!  Shannon learnt to weave 4 years ago, and her grandmother was a master weaver, who wove at The Lowell Mill - the first industrial place that women were allowed to work (!)  For Shannon, the act of stitching is a way for her to process. After a major shooting in the US, she found herself stitching a gun. She then called out for people to stitch them and send them to her. Eventually, she gathered these pieces to make an auction to sell for Project Fire, and once they had a project they were funding, the art just started pouring in). In the end, the fundraiser took in around $6000 to help keep that program going. Shannon's biggest bit of advice: (note I didn't actually ask this question, but she did give some great craftivism advice)"[for a craftivism project] give a hard deadline, with 2 weeks in between the hard deadline and the moment [of action, ie the auction]... give people a lot of lead time" People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:Project Fire - arts therapy project that shannon helped raise funds for with her gun embroidery craftivism projectcraftivista- betsy greer "godmother of craftivism" the craftivists collective @craftivistssubversive cross stitchrowdy corazon gone but not forgotten quilts - documenting the names of folks killed by the Chicago Police DepartmentFind Shannon: website | instagram Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket CastsLike what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.Until next time! xxAni

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. A huge thank you to this week’s episode sponsor: Pickle and Co Fibres.  Pickle and Co Fibres is a small fibre business built on years of love of yarn and craft, based in Australia. Marnie, who runs Pickle and Co, handyes beautiful australian grown fibre and yarn, as well as handspinning her own art yarns. Marnie supports other aussie producers like White Gum Wool, a personal favorite of hers (and mine, as I’m sure you know) , to keep her carbon footprint minimized. You can find pickle and co fibres on etsy: search Pickle and Co Fibres (pickle like the cucumber and fibres spelled the australian way) and on instagram:  @pickleandcofibresAs a special offer for close knit podcast listeners, Marnie is offering 15% off her webshop. Use the code CLOSEKNITS15 for 15% off.  In Episode 25, I spoke to Deva O’Neill of Phaedra Clothing. Deva is a clothing maker and indigo dyer based in Cornwall. Her interest in linen started at a young age, as she watched her mother and her mother’s friends engage with linen and beautiful, oversizes silhouettes. As a teenager, Deva altered her own clothing and over the past few years, has moved into drafting her own patterns, sort of a mishmash of other patterns and garments she’s made, to achieve the aesthetic she imagines in her mind. Deva and I talk about how she’s taught herself to sew and dye, and how the infinite world of fibre has entranced her. We discuss how she’s grown Phaedra and keeps it going alongside day work, and how she plans to grow it over time.  Deva's Biggest Bit of Advice: "try to gain as much inspiration as you can from the world around you, but try not to compare yourself to anyone else... there's a lot of people doing amazing things and it's easy to feel like you're not doing enough... it's so important to stay true to what you want to create"  People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:tony chestnut : very cool clothing, combining art and clothing (in still a very wearable way)as petals fall - Deva has collaborated Kate on a few projects, she's a natural dyer who sells her dyed linen meterage. cabbage blue - incredible clothing maker (indigo, quilted,etc - do yourself a favour and check her out) Find Deva: website | instagram | facebook  Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket CastsLike what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.Until next time! xxAni

THE JOY IN THE STRUGGLE: an homage to Victoria Safford ('the place from which you glimpse not only the struggle, but the joy in the struggle'). Instagram: Joy In The Struggle - an account dedicated to raising funds for a new not-for-profit every 2 months - the first project is dedicated to raising funds for Planned Parenthood. Facebook : Tasmania-based Craftivism Group - a group for folk to discuss things that are on their minds, and for us to have events that are centred around craft/making/showing up and working to create positive change. WHAT I PLAN TO DO: Manage the instagram account, use it to host fundraisers every 2 months, contribute my own work/knitting when I can, manage the Facebook group to create and host local events in Tasmania that are social-justice/craftivism themed. WHAT YOU CAN DO: KNITTERS: The first project is a "pussyhat" knitting fundraiser (open to your interpretation - reminder that it's not about sex organs, and womxn come in all forms), if you want to knit one to sell to raise funds for Planned Parenthood, please email me: hello@closeknit.com.auYARN PRODUCERS: can you donate some wool to one of our pussy hat knitting people? If so, get in touch: hello@closeknit.com.au NOT A KNITTER OR YARN PRODUCER? GET IN TOUCH AND LET'S FIND A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER - hello@closeknit.com.au

The Close Knit podcast showcases artists, designers, and makers from all over the world who work with fibre in its many forms. Knitters, spinners, sewers, textile artists - all will be celebrated on the Close Knit podcast. This week I spoke to Olive Riley of Spinning A Yarn. Olive is a hand-dyer based in New Zealand. We talk about how a visit to the Massey University Open Day took her from wanting to study nursing to studying textiles, and how her schooling has influenced her work. Olive took over the business, Spinning A Yarn, from her sister Jess, and we talk about what it’s like to take over a business from a family member, and how they’ve worked together to grow the business.  Olive is generously sponsoring a giveaway of 3 skeins of her handdyed silk/merino yarn, here's how to enter: 1. Follow @spinningayarnnz on instagram2. Follow @close_knit on instagram3. Comment on this blog post with your instagram handle and nameGIVEAWAY CLOSES FRIDAY, 10th Feb, 2017 8am AEST.  Olive and I discuss how her education at Massey influenced her work. Whilst at uni, she took a natural dye course, but over time she has changed to acid reactive dyes, which she learned from Jess in their garage. In addition to Spinning A Yarn, Olive works full time - for Wool Yarns, a yarn making factory, where she works on apparel yarns that are possum merino blends. She particularly loves getting to see the whole process of making a yarn from start to finish.  A major motivation that keeps Olive going: people giving positive feedback about the yarn. Sometimes she feels like she's not doing enough or it's not good enough, but meeting people who love the yarn is motivating. She walks me through the financial logistics of her business, and finds that it's a great way to pay for a hobby (and gives her yarn to play with). She's really happy with the size that it is, and that she doesn't rely on it for income - instead she finds that it pays for itself and for her to travel to 3-4 markets around NZ throughout the year. Olive's biggest bit of advice: "keep going, and enjoy it....do what you want to do. A tip for people learning a new fibre craft: try and do projects that teach you a new thing each time you're making something... choose patterns that challenge yourself"  People/ Things we mentioned in the podcast:Koel Magazine : beautiful magazine for makers. Laine Magazine: beautiful Nordic magazine with homely and warming aestheticTruly Myrtle: Libby, Olive's gotten to know her at marketsMarta Buda: beautiful weaver and textile design Find Olive: website | instagram | facebook  Want more? Subscribe: Itunes or Pocket CastsLike what you're hearing? Awesome! I'm glad you've found your way to this podcast. Please feel free to subscribe, leave a review on iTunes (this makes all the difference to reaching more people!) and share with your loved ones. Thanks for tuning in.Until next time! xxAni